Better Business for All, Covid-19 Toolkit: Version 4-30th June 2020

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COVID-19 Toolkit Considerations for restarting your business safely (version 4)

The Better Business for All (BBfA) partnership has used their knowledge and expertise to bring together resources from trusted organisations to help guide

you through the main considerations for restarting your business safely.

This Covid-19 Toolkit provides useful documents such as a risk assessment template and action plan, business checklists and useful guides to help you.

In addition to considerations suggested in this Toolkit, please ensure you also keep up to date with current Government guidelines relevant to the control

of COVID-19.

This toolkit has been collated from current government guidance by staff across the BBFA partnership. Sources include: CIEH,

Food Innovation Wales, gov.uk, Food Standards Agency. The aim is that businesses will find the template checklists, action plan, and documents of practical

use when re-opening.

NOTE: The checklists contain examples of relevant controls based on current guidance. Although these should help give you some

direction, you should amend and add controls that are relevant to your specific business having completed your risk assessment.

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Your first question should be: can I open?

Check if you are on the list of premises that should remain closed or can open.

Prior to re-opening:

• If you cannot open yet, you should still start considering the risks and controls required to be in place once you are allowed to open.

• Conduct a risk assessment specific to your business and complete the ‘COVID secure’ poster (if you have 5 or more employees this should be

written down. If you have 50 or more employees this should also be published on your website).

Check what you can and can’t do including information on

• Support bubbles

• Vulnerable groups and who is allowed to go to work

• Workers’ rights

• How health and safety will be enforced

Instructions on using this Toolkit

Please use ‘Ctrl’ and click on the links in the tables to view and download the documents.

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Section 1: Risk Assessment and Action Plan

Version Issued Document title Purpose of document Links to relevant guidance

V2 30/06/20 5 Steps to

Working Safely

5 steps to working safely is a summary of things to

focus on when carrying out your risk assessment.

The Covid Secure Poster is for you to display to

show you have carried out your risk assessment.

Covid Secure Poster

V2 30/06/20 COVID-19 Risk

Assessment

(Generic Version)

A template Risk Assessment for you to complete.

Record the controls you have in place to prevent

the spread of coronavirus at the workplace.

Further examples of controls which you could

include can be found in section 5 of this

document.

The checklists in the following sections also give

some pointers to start with. You can add extra

checks to these if identified in your risk

assessment.

Risk Assessment(HSE)

Working Safely During Coronavirus A Short Guide

(HSE)

Talking with your workers about preventing

coronavirus (HSE)

Risk Assessment FAQs

See section 7 for outside seating areas

V2 30/06/20 Covid-19 Risk

Assessment 1-8

Covid-19 Risk

Assessments

Hospitality/Leisure

These are alternative risk assessment templates

have been based on the government “Working

safely during coronavirus” sector guides. There

are tabs for the different sectors with example

suggested controls taken from these. (in Excel)

Working Safely During Coronavirus (GOV.UK)

Sector Guides: Complete Guides

Working Safely During Coronavirus (GOV.UK)

Sector Guides: Online tool to summarise the

guidance

UK hospitality guidance

V1 20/05/20 Action Plan Use with the above risk assessments to create a

checklist of any further actions you need to take

as identified in the risk assessment if required.

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Section 2: Return to Work- Staff, Visitors, Customers

Version Issued Document title Purpose of document Links to relevant guidance

V2 30/06/20 Staff Checklist A restart checklist to help you ensure your staff

remain well and fit to work. Including consultation

with them on changes that may be needed and

pointers on what to discuss with your staff prior

to coming back to work.

See section 6 for advice on staff who may be self-

isolating and information on advice you can give to

staff about the disease.

Online check to see who can go back to work

Protecting Home Workers (including Display

Screen Equipment) (HSE)

Shielding of those most Vulnerable to COVID-19

Guidance for pregnant women

COVID-19 Summary of Guidance and support for

vulnerable groups

V2 30/06/20 Staff Handbook We have started a staff handbook for you. This is

to help communicate the main changes you have

put in place following your COVID-19 risk

assessment. It should include any new instructions

staff need to follow. The web links take you to

resources that you can provide to your staff. They

cover mental wellbeing information on COVID-

19, self-isolation. There are resources in different

languages and posters which you can display.

Every Mind Matters-7 simple tips to tackle working

from home

The infographics shown in the handbook are

available in other languages here- Advice Posters

with Translations and here COVID-19 Infographics

Gov UK Travel Guidance (Getting to and from

work)

V3 30/06/20 Personal Protective

Equipment Overview

Summary of when PPE may be required and

government guidance on the use of face

coverings and visors. Including tips on the safe

use, taking on and off and cleaning. Please keep up

to date with the latest guidance.

Advice Posters with Translations

BSI guide to masks and face coverings for use in the

UK during the COVID-19 pandemic.pdf

BSIF CE Certificate Checklist for PPE.pdf

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Version Issued Document title Purpose of document Links to relevant guidance

V2 30/06/20 Customer Checklist A restart checklist to help you ensure customer

access and social distancing controls are in place.

Including queue control and help with test

and trace.

V2 30/06/20 Visitors Guide We have started a visitor guide to help you

communicate any controls you have put in place

to contractors and visitors coming into your

business.

Section 3 Return to Work - Premises and Utilities

Version Issued Document title

Purpose of document Links to relevant guidance

V2 30/06/20 Building Services and

Utilities Checklist

Checklist to help identify and record checks on

water, gas, fire, pests, waste etc. necessary for a

business that has been closed for a period.

Air conditioning and ventilation during the

coronavirus outbreak

Restarting Pressure systems safely (e.g. Café

Boilers/Dry Cleaners)

Steps you need to do to keep your water system

safe (South West Water)

Fire Safety-RE-opening your premises

V1 20/05/20 Legionella Checklist Checklist to record actions taken on your hot

and cold water systems. NOTE: Not suitable for

larger businesses.

CIEH Legionnaire's disease

Guide to Legionella and Legionnaires disease

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Version Issued Document title

Purpose of document Links to relevant guidance

V2 30/06/20 Work Area Checklist This checklist will help you consider the

management of social distancing in your

workplace.

Guidance on Social Distancing HSE

Working Safely During Coronavirus (GOV.UK)

V1 20/05/20 Site Plan The aim of the site plan is to provide an overview

of all the locations within the site and the

movements of products, materials and people

and hints and tips for safe working practices.

Section 4: Return to Work- Personal Hygiene and Cleaning

Version Issued Document title

Purpose of document Links to relevant guidance

V1 20/05/20 Cleaning and

Personal Hygiene

Checklist

A checklist to help identify additional cleaning and

personal hygiene arrangements necessary for

COVID-19 controls.

Hand washing video

Cleaning your workplace to reduce risk from

coronavirus (COVID-19)

Cleaning accommodation- refer to

UK hospitality guidance

Cleaning Post Covid Case:

COVID-19: cleaning in non-healthcare settings on

GOV.UK

UK Hospitality-COVID-19 Secure advice risk

assessments for hospitality businesses (see page 23)

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Section 5: Guidance for specific types of work

Visit Working Safely During Coronavirus (GOV.UK) for guidance on specific types of work to assist with your risk assessment and consideration of

appropriate COVID-19 workplace controls for:

1) Close contact services 2) Construction and other outdoor work 3) Factories, plants and warehouses 4) Heritage locations 5) Hotels and other guest accommodation 6) Labs and research facilities 7) Offices and contact centres 8) Other people’s homes 9) Restaurants, pubs, bars and takeaway services 10) Shops and branches 11) Vehicles 12) The visitor economy

Additional Guidance:

• Drive in Cinemas and Museums: Guidance for Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

• Hotels/Hostels/Accommodation/Restaurant/Pubs/Late night economy/Amusement parks/Holiday parks: UK hospitality guidance

• Food Businesses including farming and agriculture: Food Standards Agency Advice, Food Business Re-opening Checklist , Gov.UK Guidance for Food

Business during Covid 19 including how to manage outbreaks amongst workers

• Mobile and Event Caterers: Nationwide Caterers Association COVID related guidance and toolkits

• Licensed premises: South West Water -Beer Disposal, Destroying spoilt beer, cider, wine or made-wine during coronavirus (COVID-19)

• Salons and Spas re-opening guide

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Section 6: Suspect Cases of COVID-19

This section explains how employers and businesses can play their part in the NHS test and trace programme to slow the spread of the virus, save lives and

help to manage the risk of the virus re-emerging. We will add to this section as more information becomes available. Please note Local Authorities, the

Health Safety Executive and Public Health teams will be working together with NHS test and trace in the management of COVID-19 outbreaks and you may

be contacted by them to help.

It is vital that employers play their part by:

• making their workplaces as safe as possible

• encouraging workers to follow any notifications to self-isolate and supporting them when in isolation

Action on suspect cases:

• If there is more than one case of COVID-19 associated with your workplace, you should contact your local PHE health protection team to report the

suspected outbreak. Find your local PHE health protection team.

• Managing coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in the workplace. What to do if anyone develops symptoms and if you have an outbreak related to your

premises. (Also includes specific advice for food premises)

• Guidance on the NHS test and trace service including the role of employers.

• Guidance on coronavirus testing, including who is eligible for a test, how employers refer an employee for testing and information on the testing

process.

• Get a test- information for individuals on getting a test, understanding the test result and what to do if you're contacted by NHS Test and Trace.

Support for staff isolating:

• NHS Latest Information about Coronavirus (COVID-19) including symptoms

• 10 tips to help if you are worried about coronavirus

• Information on sick pay/compensation

• Infographic explaining Test and Trace (also in other languages)

• Stay at home guidance,

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Translated Advice

• Coronavirus - Easy Read Guides and Other Language Guides

• Testing

• Mayor of London and London Assembly

• Doctors of the World

• Migrant Information Service

• Advice Posters with Translations (Wellbeing/Overview of COVID/Self Care/Spread and Prevention)

(Note-being updates to reflect current guidance)

Keeping Customer/Visitor Records:

• The latest guidance advises that you should keep a temporary record of your customers and visitors for 21 days, in a way that is manageable for your

business to assist NHS Test and Trace. Hopefully you are familiar with data protection and how it applies to you. If not further guidance is due to be

released on this. As a minimum you should record customers' full names and contact telephone number along with the date and time of their visit.

• In the meantime:

o Have someone who is responsible for the data being kept

o Collect only what you have been asked to record. (to be confirmed but is likely to be some basic contact details)

o Tell your customers you are collecting their details and what you are going to do with it and why. (You will need a Privacy Notice)

o Keep the information you collect safe. Don’t leave it for all to see.

o Keep it only for the required time. (21 days is the current length of time recommended in the guidance)

o Delete it securely. (e.g. Shred paper records don’t just throw in your bin for someone to find)

o Don’t use the information for anything other than the purpose it was collected. For instance you can’t automatically use the information

collected for other purposes e.g. marketing

o Advise customers how they can request access to, or correction or deletion of, their data.

o Train your staff

• Further generic advice for businesses:

o Guide to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

o GDPR-FAQs-for-small-hospitality-businesses

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Further Cleaning Advice:

• COVID-19: cleaning in non-healthcare settings on GOV.UK. Cleaning non health care settings

• UK Hospitality-COVID-19 Secure advice risk assessments for hospitality businesses (see page 23)

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Section 7: Ongoing COVID-19 checks

Version Issued Document title

Purpose of document Links to relevant guidance

V2 30/06/20 COVID-19-Daily

Control Checks

A self-audit check your controls are in place and working. Posters and Social Media messaging

V1 30/06/20 COVID-19 External

Area Checks

A self-audit specifically check external queues and external

seating areas.

V1 30/06/20 Management of

outside seating Areas

A short template procedure to manage your outside

seating areas.

Draft Guidance: Pavement Licences (outdoor

seating proposal)

Mapping software to measure if pavements

are 2 meters.

See Section 10 of this document.

Apply for a permit (Also refer to your

Council’s Home Page)

V1 30/06/20 Noise Poster All venues should ensure that steps are taken to avoid

people needing to unduly raise their voices to each other.

This includes, but is not limited to, refraining from playing

music or broadcasts that may encourage shouting,

including if played at a volume that makes normal

conversation difficult.

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Section 8: Trading Standards

For further information in the area of trading standards, for example;

• Supplying Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

• Supplying hand sanitiser.

• Contracts cancelled due to coronavirus – general advice.

• Accommodation holidays cancelled due to coronavirus – guide for businesses.

• Wedding cancellations – guide for businesses.

Please refer to: https://www.devonsomersettradingstandards.gov.uk/business/covid-19general-advice-for-businesses.

Section 9: Business Support

The Growth Hub team are working hard to keep you updated on Covid-19 Support for Business and inform you of the latest on Government schemes and

other business support to assist with managing through the impacts of the Coronavirus. Here follows links to schemes, advice, guidance and further business

support: https://www.heartofswgrowthhub.co.uk/covid-19-support-for-business/

Section 10: Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

The coronavirus pandemic has highlighted a number of issues for different groups. Disabled people, in particular, have been affected by changes to how

services are delivered:

• A shift to online ordering but some websites are not accessible and some businesses do not provide alternative methods of ordering for those

without internet access (such as telephone).

• Long queues which some disabled people find difficult.

• One-person only admissions disadvantage people who need a carer to attend with them.

• Closure of toilets.

• Changes to layouts which make spaces difficult to navigate, particularly for Blind/Visually Impaired people.

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• Face coverings prevent the ability for hearing impaired people to lip read.

A lack of up to date information in Easy Read (simple words and pictures/symbols), British Sign Language and foreign languages has meant that some

communities do not know what to do. Easy Read information can help people whose first language is not English.

20% of the population is disabled. Disability covers a wide range of impairments and health conditions including physical and sensory disability, learning

disability, neurodiversity (autism, ADHD), mental health conditions and long-term illnesses such as cancer, diabetes or MS. Providing access to disabled

people is important not only for the customer, but for businesses too. If your business is not accessible, you are missing out on 20% of UK custom known

as ‘the Purple Pound’.

The Equality Act 2010 places a duty on service providers to anticipate and make reasonable adjustments for customers and staff. The duty allows you to

‘positively discriminate’ disabled people – this means you can lawfully ‘treat a disabled person more favourably’ than someone who does not have a disability.

When re-opening your business, some steps you can take to ensure it is accessible include:

• Providing a priority service to disabled customers. This could include fast-tracking in a queue, booking by appointment, providing a ‘personal shopper’

experience, seating areas.

• Ensuring your website follows accessibility standards.

• Ensuring there are a number of ways that customers can contact you to place an order or ask a question such as email, SMS and telephone.

• Checking any layouts and temporary changes do not block wheelchairs and larger mobility scooters. If you have regular customers who have Guide

Dogs, contact the local Guide Dogs group because the dog will probably need re-training to navigate a change of layout. Try to keep changes

infrequent.

• Provision of clear face masks or screens so that people who are hard of hearing can lip-read.

• Allowing more than one-person admission if they are accompanied by a carer.

• Being patient with people with autism, dementia or learning disabilities etc. if they are struggling to observe any rules.

• Making sure any ‘street furniture’ does not cause a hazard or obstruction for wheelchair users, pushchairs and visually impaired people including their

Guide Dogs.

• If unsure, consult with local disability organisations.

You will probably have additional considerations to make with regards to staff, bearing in mind that they are also covered by equality legislation to prevent

unlawful discrimination (including dismissal because of a characteristic), for example:

• Protection of pregnant employees and maintaining contact with employees on maternity leave.

• Disabled staff and reasonable adjustments in safe working practice.

• Black, Asian and minority ethnic staff: if you employ a number of foreign workers you may have to provide information in foreign languages – for

simple information, Easy Read may be sufficient. Black and Asian people are also showing to be disproportionately affected by coronavirus and may

want to discuss concerns about their safety at work.

• Older workers may want to discuss the risk of severe ill health from coronavirus which increases with age.

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• Staff with caring responsibilities may want to discuss concerns about increased risks for those they care for when they return to work.

Further guidance on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion:

Devon County Council Diversity Guide

Purple Tuesday

Living Options Devon

Guide Dogs

Website accessibility - WebAIM

What is Better Business for All (BBfA)?

BBfA is a local partnership between businesses, business support and regulators and across Devon and Somerset to promote local economic prosperity,

whilst maintaining public protection. BBfA aims to improve how regulatory services are delivered in Devon and Somerset and to show how working with

your local regulators can save you time and money, improve your competitiveness and help you grow your business.

Links to the regional local authority contacts can be found here: https://www.heartofswgrowthhub.co.uk/better-business-for-all/

You can also contact the Heart of the South West Growth Hub team to help you navigate business support options, find answers to your question and

identify the right support to meet your business needs and aspirations.

https://www.heartofswgrowthhub.co.uk/get-in-touch/ or call 03456 047 047.

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Version History

Number Date Details of Change Version 1 22/05/2020 Original

Version 2 28/05/2020 Addition of the NHS test and Trace web links

Version 3 08/06/2020 Addition of:

• Government guidance around wearing face coverings whilst on public transport to the “Travel to work guide” and

“Personal Protective Equipment Overview” documents.

• Section 9: Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

Version 4 30/06/20 Whole pack updated to include additional government guidance and test and trace overview.